Integrative developmental ecology: a review of density-dependent effects on life-history traits and host-microbe interactions in non-social holometabolous insects

Anh The Than, Fleur Ponton, Juliano Morimoto * (Corresponding Author)

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Citations (Scopus)
7 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Population density modulates a wide range of eco-evolutionary processes including inter- and intra-specific competition, fitness and population dynamics. In holometabolous insects, the larval stage is particularly susceptible to density-dependent effects because the larva is the resource-acquiring stage. Larval density-dependent effects can modulate the expression of life-history traits not only in the larval and adult stages but also downstream for population dynamics and evolution. Better understanding the scope and generality of density-dependent effects on life-history traits of current and future generations can provide useful knowledge for both theory and experiments in developmental ecology. Here, we review the literature on larval density-dependent effects on fitness of non-social holometabolous insects. First, we provide a functional definition of density to navigate the terminology in the literature. We then classify the biological levels upon which larval density-dependent effects can be observed followed by a review of the literature produced over the past decades across major non-social holometabolous groups. Next, we argue that host-microbe interactions are yet an overlooked biological level susceptible to density-dependent effects and propose a conceptual model to explain how density-dependent effects on host-microbe interactions can modulate density-dependent fitness curves. In summary, this review provides an integrative framework of density-dependent effects across biological levels which can be used to guide future research in the field of ecology and evolution.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)659-680
Number of pages22
JournalEvolutionary Ecology
Volume34
Issue number5
Early online date2 Sept 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2020

Bibliographical note

Open access via Springer Compact Agreement

ATT was funded by MQ-VIED Joint Scholarship at Macquarie University. We would like to acknowledge two anonymous reviewers and the editor for useful comments on the early version of this manuscript and Prof N. Prasad for constructive comments during the manuscript revision.

Keywords

  • niche theory
  • ecological specialisation
  • ecological theory
  • population density
  • microbiome
  • host-microbiome interaction
  • Ecological specialisation
  • Niche theory
  • Host-microbiome interaction
  • Population density
  • Ecological theory
  • Microbiome
  • INTRASPECIFIC COMPETITION
  • LYMANTRIA-DISPAR
  • ANOPHELES-GAMBIAE S.S.
  • DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER
  • LARVAL DENSITY
  • SYMBIOTIC BACTERIA
  • NATURAL-SELECTION
  • PHENOTYPIC DEVELOPMENT
  • ADULT LONGEVITY
  • EVOLUTIONARY RESPONSES

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